FAQS

Q. Does it matter if I am not local to you?
A. Not at all, we  have clients who are situated around the world and across Australia.

Q. What is included in your fee?
A. We can discuss your requirements and provide you with a fee estimate.

Q. Do you prepare and lodge BAS and other activity statements?
A. Yes we do. BAS and IAS  statements are usually quarterly or monthly lodgments. Many of our clients make use of our full service model, bookkeeping, BAS through to company or individual return preparation and ASIC lodgements if required. We consider ourselves a ‘one stop shop’ where we can manage all of your statutory and compliance needs.

Q. Do you outsource or use contractors for any of your work?
A. No – never.

Q. Can I sign up for your newsletter?
A. Yes, click on the ‘Subscribe to our Newsletter’ section on the right hand side of any of our web pages.

Q. What are your fees for individual tax returns?
A. We can discuss this with you once you tell us your requirements. Investment properties, Capital Gains Tax calculation and other complex matters do require extra time, however in line with our policy, our fees are very reasonable. Please contact us for all service costs.

Q. What are your fees for small business?
A. Our fees are fair and affordable. If you have a small business, you must have a workable profit and loss statement. If you need assistance in preparing a profit and loss statement and or balance sheet, these can be prepared for you at a small additional cost to our standard fee.

Q. I have years of outstanding tax returns and am in a mess with my tax affairs, can you help?
A. Yes, we will bring your tax affairs right up to date. We treat overdue tax lodgements as a top priority.

Q. Will you be able to save me tax?
A. We make sure our clients pay as little tax as legally possible. We do this by ensuring that they claim for all of the deductions and rebates that they are legally entitled to and by making sure they are operating in the most tax effective way.

Q. What expenses can I claim for?
A. This is reliant on the nature of your business or employment however we can provide you with a list of the most common types of business expenditure for your industry. If we receive your records and we believe that you could be claiming additional deductions then we would contact you straight away and ask for further details.

Q. Do I send my records to you monthly?
A. It depends. If we are completing your accounts and returns then usually annually would suffice. If we are also completing your BAS statements then we would request your records every quarter, and if we complete monthly management accounts for you, we would need to see your records on a monthly basis. However, this is dependent upon your situation and software used (if any). We will work with you to establish a manageable routine.

Q. Will I be assigned my own accountant?
A. Yes, your assigned accountant will make phone contact with you once we receive your paperwork. Or, if you are in Canberra you can meet your accountant at our offices next to the CBD or at your office.

Q. Do I have to let my previous accountant know I am changing?
A. If you wish, however we send a standard letter to your previous accountants to inform them of the change and to request any information we need (including your books and records).

Q. What is the best way of getting my records to you?
A. You can do this in a number of ways. If you use MYOB desktop versions you can send a backup as an email attachment. If you use XERO or Reckon Online, or MYOB / Account Right cloud based software, you will need to create an additional user in our name for us to gain access to your records.
If you have documents and notes, these can be scanned and emailed and for large data files or documents, a dropbox folder will be set up for your exclusive use. If you use a book or a ledger you can post your records to our office address. These can be uploaded via our secure document portal – very easy to use.

Q. How long will it take for you to complete my accounts once I have sent my records to you?
A. Business accounts are usually sent for approval within 10-14 days from receipt of the records. Individuals are usually sent for approval within 3 days (or even less, we frequently meet a 24 hour turnaround!).  However, during busy periods, it may be slightly longer. We will keep you updated.

Q What about my privacy?
A. bennetts tax & bas service knows that privacy is an important individual right and is important to our own business and the businesses of our clients. Our policy sets out our commitment to maintaining information handling standards. Please refer to our Privacy Policy.